Art Basel Names 33 Medalists for Its 2026 Awards, With Gold Winners to Follow in Miami
Art Basel has unveiled the 33 medalists for the second edition of its Art Basel Awards, widening the program’s reach across artists, curators, institutions, patrons, and media figures. The 2026 honorees will be recognized during Art Basel in Switzerland in June, while the gold medalists will be announced later at Art Basel Miami Beach in December.
The awards are framed by the fair as more than a prize list. In a statement, Art Basel described the project as a year-round platform for “visibility, dialogue, and exchange,” a formulation that places it closer to an ongoing cultural network than a one-night ceremony. Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel’s global director of fairs, said this year’s cohort “spans geographies, disciplines, and generations,” adding that the awards are meant to reflect “a broad cross section of the ecosystem.”
An international jury selects medalists according to four criteria: vision and innovation, skill and execution, engagement, and broader impact. Gold medalists in the artist categories will be chosen through an independent peer-review process and will receive more than $250,000 annually in support, including honorariums, philanthropic contributions, and public commissions, according to Art Basel.
This year’s artist medalists include Barbara Kruger, Howardena Pindell, and Jenny Holzer in the icon category; Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Arthur Jafa, Julie Mehretu, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Rikrit Tiravanija, and Theaster Gates among established artists; and Aziza Kadyri, Carla Gueye, Diego Marcon, Precious Okoyomon, Tiffany Sia, and Farah Al Qasimi among emerging artists. The cross-disciplinary group includes Laurie Anderson, Sumayya Vally, and Kulapat Yantrasast.
The institutional and patron categories bring in Diriyah Biennale Foundation, SAVVY Contemporary, The Brick in Los Angeles, Mercedes Vilardell, Pamela J. Joyner, and the Teiger Foundation. Other honorees include Azu Nwagbogu, Diana Campbell, Stuart Comer, Independent Curators International (ICI), Studio Museum in Harlem – AIR, Anton Vidokle, Hilton Als, and Siddhartha Mitter.
By spreading recognition across so many parts of the field, Art Basel is signaling that influence in contemporary art is no longer measured only by market visibility. The awards now map a wider infrastructure of production, interpretation, and support — one that will come into sharper focus when the gold medalists are named later this year.
